Transfer apparatus for glassware



Jan. 31, 1933. T, STENHOUSE TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR GLASSWARE Filed Dec.1, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet all 7770mm" Sin/muse Jan. 31, 1933. "r.STENHOU'SE 1,895,324

" I TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR GLASSWARE Filed D80. 1, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2gwuentoz mf-am duo merqd Patented Jan. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE THOMAS STENHOUSE, OF WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORHAZEL-ATLAS GLASS 00., OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF WESTVIRGINIA TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR GLASSWARE Application filed DecemberThis invention relates .to mechanisms for transferring glassware and thelike from a forming machine to a leer conveyor or to a conveyorassociated with a leer. One of the primary objects of the inventionresides in the provision of a substantially duplex construction which isoperated from a common source, and whereby the number of power strokesnecessary to the transfer of a given number of articles is reduced by50%.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of such adevice which, by reason of the reduced number of operative movements,and their consequent reduction in speed of movement, is practically freefrom vibration, thereby greatly reducing wear and tear on the mechanismand eliminating c reening of the ware which commonly occiirs inpreviously known transfer devices.

vA further object of the invention is to provide a transfer mechanism ofthis character which will rapidly and efliciently transfer ware from aforming machine to a conveyor without the necessity of lifting the warever 'tically either at the beginning of or during the transferoperation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a'transfer mechanismhaving greater capacity than those previously known, thus makingpossible a further increase in the speed of the forming machines,

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a reliableand eflicient transfer mechanism in which the power consumption isreduced practically 50% below that of previously known devices. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connectionwith the accompanyingdrawings;- in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of themechanism.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof partly in section; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus mounted on the main pedestal ofa forming machine in cooperative relationship with a conveyor andshowing in dotted and full lines the two radial positions which arealternately assumed by the transfer mechanism.

1, 1928. Serial No. 323,016.

The forming machine, which may be of any desired construction, isindicated by the numeral 1, and is provided with the usual pedestal orcolumn 2. Mountedupon the column 2 as by means of clamp 3 is a bracket'4 which "serves as a support for the transfer mechanism.

Bolted to the outer end of the bracket 4 is a posltion substantiallymidway between the mold at take-out position and the conveyor is avertically disposed cylinder 5. This cylinder is provided with a piston6 and piston rod 7 the latter being provided with a double about itsaxis through movements of the plston rod extension 9. For this purposethe extension 9 has clamped thereto an arm 16 carrying a roller 17 forcooperation with a cam slot 18 in a bracket 19. Thisbracket is bolted onthe end of bracket 4 adjacent the cylinder 5, and the angle at which theslot 18 iscut is such. as to impart a slight oscillatory movement to theyoke 12 and the parts carried thereby as the piston 6 is raised andlowered. It is to be particularly noted, however, that the upper andlower ends 20 and 21 of the slot 18 extend vertically so thatinomovement whatever is imparted to yoke 12 during the preliminary movementof piston 6 in either its upward or downward stroke. This feature is ofmaterial importance in the practical operation of the apparatus, as willappear latter.

Secured t0 the lower end of the yoke 12 is a. horizontal guidebar 22provided on its opposite sides, with guideways 23 on which are slidablymounted two plates 24 and 25. These plates are formed with racks 26 and27 ontheir respective upper edges which cooperate with pinions 28 and 29mounted on a bearing member 30 bolted to yoke 12. Also mounted onbearing member 30 and fixed to the shafts carrying pinions 28 and 29 arepinions 31 and 32 which cooperate with the double rack 8 carried bythelower end of piston rod 7. It will thus be apparent that as the piston 6is raised andflowered by the admission of motive fluid to opposite endsof cylinder 5, the double rack 8 and its associated gearing will causethe two plates 24 and 25 to be moved in opposite directions, i. e.', as"the plate 25 is moved to the right (Fig. 1) the plate 24 will move tothe left, and vice versa. The rack 8 is guided in its vertical movementsby a slide bearing 33 bolted to the yoke 12, and which serves totransmit the oscillating movements of rod 9 to the yoke.

Each ofthe plates 24 and carries a con- 2 ventional type of bottlegripping mechanism, consisting of operating cylinders 34 and'35 andgripper arms indicated by numerals 36 and 36. The motive fluid for thesecylinders is admitted tothe opposite ends thereof by 25 conduits 37 and38, and as the pistons are raised and lowered the gripper arms 36 and 36are closed and opened in the usual manner to grip or release a piece ofware. 1

The bottles, or other ware, which is to be transferred to a conveyor bythe present mechanism, are indicated by the numeral 39 and the conveyoron which the ware is placed in uniformly spaced relationship isdesignated by the numeral 40.

Having fully described the detailed constructionof the presentmechanism, I shall now set forth the operation of the several parts intheir proper sequence in taking a piece of ware from a mold on theforming ma- 4 chine and placing it on the conveyor.

Assuming the parts are in the positions indicated in Figure 1, thegripper arms 36 have just engaged a piece of ware, while the gripperarms 36 have just released another piece of ware on the conveyor 40. Airis now admitted to the upper end of cylinder 5 so as to cause the piston6 and related parts to descend. This downward movement will cause theplates 24 and 25 to move in opposite di-v rections so that the wareengaging units 34 and 35 will exchange places with respect to theforming machine and conveyor. ,At the initiation of the downwardmovement no rotative' movement is imparted to the yoke 12 for the reasonthat the cam slot 20 extends'verswings the transfer, mechanism about itsver- A tlcal axis so that as the plate 25 reaches the limit of itsmovement to the right its unit 35 willoccupy the identical positionwhich was just vacated by the unit 34. on plate 24. This oscillatorymovement is necessary in order that the ware may be equally spaced onthe conveyor and in order that both of the ware engaging units may beproperly centered over the mold at the take-out position. In this.connection it should be noted that the units 34 and are disposed on theopposite sides of their respective plates 24 and 25 and that thedistance between their center lines of travel is identical with theoscillatory movement imparted to the mechanism.

As the plate 25 approaches the limit of its travel to the right, the'camroller 17 enters the vertical portion 21 of the cam slot and the finalmovement of the plate is thus a rectilinear one as it brings the ware torest over the conveyor 40. Air is now admitted to the upper end ofcylinder 35 so as to open the grip-- pers 36'and release the ware. I

During this movement of plate 25, theplate 24 has moved in a reversedirection so as to bring thegripping unit 34-36 over the next succeedingmold arriving at the takeout position. The travel of the cam roller 17and the consequent oscillation of yoke 12 has, ofrcourse, also swung theplate 24 and its unit 34-36 through a predetermined angle soas to returnthe same to the identical position from which it hadleft on the previouscycle of operations, namely, overthe mold in takeout position. Air isadmitted to the lower end of cylinder 34 to cause its, grippers 36' toengage the bottle in the mold, simultaneously with the opening ofgrippers 36 to release a transferred article. When th1s operation is'completed air is admitted to the lower end of cylinder 5 so as to raisepiston 6, and the positions of the plates 24 and 25 are again shifted soas to return them to the positions assumed at the beginning of thedescription of operation of the mechanism. These cycles are continuedthroughout the operation of the forming machine, and the air v lines"are controlled by the usual valves associated with the mechanism of theforming machine, so that the. parts remain at all times in exactsynchronization with the movements of the forming machine. From theforegoing description and the accompanying illustration-of themechanism, it will be apparentthat the number of reciprocations of thepiston 5 is reduced one-half in transferring a given number of articlesfrom the forming machine to the conveyor, with a consequent reduction inthe vibration of the mechanism, thereby resulting in less liability ofthe articles careening when placed on the conveyor. Through the use ofthis mechanismalso, the forming machine itself may be speeded up withoutunduly straining the transfer mechanism and with a lesser amount ofvibration in the transfer mechanism than I in prior devices. It willalso be apparent that no lifting of the ware is necessary intransferring the ware to the conveyor, and that by reason of the duplexmechanism here dis-' closed the power consumption is very materiallyreduced.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described what I believeto be the preferred embodiment of the invention; inasmuch, however, asvarious modifications may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, it' is intended that allsuch modifications be included within'the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for transferring glassware, including two complete grippingunits, means for simultaneously reciprocating the units in oppositedirections in a horizontal plane, and means for oscillating the units ina horizontal plane to alternately bring both units to the same point fordelivery.

2. A device for transferring glassware, including two complete grippingunits, carriages upon which said units are mounted, means forreciprocating the carriages in opposite directions in a horizontalplane, and means for oscillating the carriages in a horizontal planeduring the reciprocation to bring both carriages to the same point forpicking up the ware.

3. A device for transferring glassware, including two complete grippingunits, means for simultaneously moving the units in opposite directionsin 'a horizontal plane, and means for changing the direction of movementduring the movement to bring both units to the same pick-up and deliverypositions.

4. A transfer device including two complete gripping units, a carriagefor each unit, means for simultaneously reciprocating the units andcarriers in opposite directions in substantially a horizontal plane, andmeans causing each unit and carrier to successivel occupy the identicalposition vacated by t e other unit and carrier.

5. A transfer device including two complete gripping units arranged sideby side, means for simultaneously reciprocating the units in oppositedirections in substantially a horizontal plane, and means causing eachunit to assume the position of the other unit at pick-up and deliverypositions.

6. A' transfer device including a guide.

member, a plurality of complete i in units adapted to simultaneouslytrava l iiFop posite directions on the guide member, a sin glecylinder-for efi'ecting the simultaneous movement in oppositedirections, and each un t including .a cylinder for operating thegrippers.

7. A transfer device including a guide member, a plurality of completegripping units adapted to travel in o posite directions on the guidemember, a cy inder and piston rod, a rack carried by said piston rod andoperatively connected with the units to cause the units tosimultaneously travel in opposite directions.

8. A transfer device including a guide member arranged in a horizontalplane,

plates slidably mounted on the sides of the guide member, a cylinder andgrippers mounted on each plate, a rack on each plate, a gear meshingwith each rack, a double rack operatively associated with said gears tocause the cylinders to simultaneously travel in opposite directions, anda cylinder for reciprocating the double rack.

9. A transfer device including a guide member arranged in asubstantially horizontal plane and mounted for oscillatory movement, twogripping units adapted to simultaneously reciprocate in oppositedirections on said guide member, and a cylinder and piston foroscillating the guide member and bringing both units to the same pointfor pick-up and delivery.

10. A transfer device including a guide member arranged in asubstantially horizontal plane, a gripping unit slidably mounted on saidguide member, a cylinder and piston rod operatively connected with theguide member, a brackethaving a cam slot adjacent the piston, a rollercarried by the piston and engaging said slot, said cam slot designed tooscillate the piston rod during its reciprocation.

11. A transfer device including a vertically arranged cylinder, adependin mounted on said cylinder and a apted to oscillate, ahorizontally arranged guide member carried by said bracket, two grippingunits slidably mounted on the guide member and adapted to reciprocatesimultaneously in opposite directions, two piston rods operated by thesaid cylinder, one of the piston rods projecting downwardly and theother projecting upwardly, a double rack carried by the downwardlyprojecting piston rod and adapted to effect the simultaneousreciprocation of the two gripping units in opposite directions, and acam operatively connected with the upwardly projecting piston rod andadapted to effect the oscillation of the bracket.

THOMAS STENHOUSE.

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